Rotting Heart
by Rotor576
Summary: Listen to the story of Silver Fang. A young wolf living in a kingdom, consumed by Rot. Can his actions save the people of Armello, or will he be the cause of the kingdoms' downfall?


**Welcome to Armello,**

Welcome to Armello! The strong kingdom, filled with magical forests, peaceful villages, snowy mountains, ancient ruins and mystical stone circles. It was marvelous to grow up in such a land and to live in there, especially in the 'Era of Heroes'. It was a time when heroes and adventurers roamed the land assisting all who needed help and fighting terrifying and powerful monsters.

The kingdom prospered under its strong king and all its people were happy. Unfortunately this peace and happiness couldn't last forever. Following the 'Era of Heroes' came the 'Era of Rot'.

The Rot was a mysterious dieses, which appeared in the kingdom whiteout warning. No one know where it came from, but anyone who faced the Rot can tell you, it is no joke. It corrupted the body and the mind, leaving its victim in constant pain and anger. Turning brother against brother, it can make you hate and despise the person you would've gladly given your life before.

Now that I'm looking back at it… we could've seen it coming. But back than we were arrogant. So sure in our power to control and use it… Turns out, we were all just digging our own graves. What a sad way for a great kingdom to fall. By the arrogance of its own people.

Sitting on the bed in my prison cell, I continued to look at the Rot covering my right arm. It looked alive. Constantly feeing off my arm and my very soul, giving me strength and power in return.

I too was once a fool, who thought the Rot could be controlled and it cost me everything I ever loved in life. The loyalty I had for my king, blinded me from the truth. While we continued to fight among ourselves, it was the Rot what controlled everyone from the background.

"If only I had listened to you my sweet love… I could've prevented all this…" I said to the darkness in my cell.

Looking out of my cells' window, I remembered how it all started. I saw the smoke from the burning villages cover the moon, leaving the land below in complete darkness.

"Just like that day…"

≤A≥

Smoke was rising from the burning village as the kings' guards approached it. Once he heard of the bandit attack, the king himself wanted to investigate what had happened. The bandit clan was too quiet lately, which implied that they were behind the attack, but the sight that greeted him, told him otherwise. It's true, the bandit clan had a reputation of raiding villages and starting fires, but this was too extreme even for them. The bandits stole what they needed and often start fires to distract the guards and cover their tracks, but to burn down an entire village? This was the work of someone who wanted to shift the blame on the bandit clan.

"Are there any survivors?" Asked the king, from the guards who searched the remains of the village and put out the fires.

A guard stepped forward to answer. He like the rest of his peers wore the same golden armor, however doe to the work they've done, it was now covered in ash and mud.

"I'm sorry My King… there were no survivors." Answered the guard.

"I see…"

The king closed his eyes to think. Whoever did this was an enemy to the kingdom and a threat to its people. What happened here, was a tragedy and the lack of survivors only made things worse. They had no leads. How will he find out, who's responsible?

"HELP!" A loud cry could be heard, from one of the collapsed buildings.

The guards nearby all ran to assist whoever it was who called, but it left the king with some hope.

As the guards arrived at the building the guard who called for help had already exited, holding a tiny form in his arms. Two other guards had already prepared a few blankets and pillows for their comrade to lay his find.

By the time the king arrived, the guards have just started to give first aid. The king wasted no time and walked right to the pile of blankets. On the blankets, laid a small child, maybe five or six years old. He was a wolf with light grey fur, which was curious considering the wolf clan lived far north at the snowy mountains. Seeing a pup this far south was very unusual. The child had many burn wounds allover his body and a large scar on his forehead. The guards wasted no time to clean the wounds and started to cover them up with bandages. The chest of the young wolf was steadily rising and falling. At least he was still alive.

"Will he make it?" Asked the king from one of the guards.

"It is hard to tell my king." Replied the guard. "He is alive and stable at the moment, but he lost a lot of blood from that head wound." The guard thought for a while, then continued. "If he survives the night, he'll live." Was his final answer.

"Inform me the moment he wakes." The king said. "I'll have some questions for him."

The guard nodded and returned to his work. There were still fires that needed to be put out.

It only took two hours for the child to wake up. The first thing he saw as he opened his eyes was the moon in the sky, covered by a cloud of smoke. He felt sad. The moon was hiding…

"Where am I?" He asked in a weak voice. His lungs were filled with smoke and he had trouble breathing. He started to couth.

It only took a minute for a nearby guard to notice him and rush to his side.

"Are you okay little pup?" Asked the guard in a female voice. "Tell me… how are you feeling?"

Her voice was so sweet. She removed her helmet so the pup could see her face. She was also a wolf. She had brown and white fur and a pair of deep brown eyes. She turned her head and shouted at the other guards.

"Why are you just standing there? Go tell the king the boy woke up! MOVE IT!"

"Yes Ma'am!" They all replied and ran off immediately.

The new commanding tone seemed to scare the pup a little, but his curiosity was stronger than his fear.

"Who are you?" He asked, his voice as still weak as before.

The female looked back at the pup, with a big smile on her face and rubbing the back of her head with a hand. "Oh, my apologies! I'm Captain Thunder Fang. Nice to meet you."

She offered her hand to the pup, which he slowly took. " _Wow! She's really strong!_ " Thought the pup as they shook hands.

"And what's your name kid?" She asked.

The child froze. " _Name…_ " He thought. " _What's my name? Who… Who am I?_ " He started to panic. This was something he should remember right? Or… was it?

Thunder noticed the fear in the child's eyes and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey kid! Calm down!" But it was no use. He was hyperventilating. "I… I don't…" He tried to say but he had no air. "Kid calm down!" She said this time more authority in her voice. She grabbed the side of his head and forced him to look in her eyes. That seemed to work. His breathing started to slow down and he began to cry. To Thunders' biggest surprise, the child get up from his makeshift bed and hugged her. "I don't remember…" He said again and again as he cried into her chest. Although she was couth by surprise, she didn't try to stop the pup and even hugged him back.

"Sss… It's okay…" She said softly, as he kept crying.

When the king arrived, he found them just like that. Captain Fang hugging and calming the crying child.

"Captain Fang" The king greeted her.

"My King" Thunder replied, nodding in response. She was hardly in any position to greet her king, but she also knew the king didn't care for such formalities. The pup also needed her more, than her king right now.

"I need to ask a few questions to our young friend." He said.

"I… I understand My King." She replied "But as you can see, he is hardly in any position to answer you." She explained, as she kept petting the child.

"I only need to know a few things." The king did not raise his voice, but it was obvious he would not leave whiteout answers.

"As you wish My King." She replied softly, before turning to the child in her arms. "Listen kid… I know you are confused and afraid, but I need you to be brave and answer the king. Can you do that for me?"

The boy only nodded slowly. Thunder smiled and patted his head. "That's a good boy!" She said.

The boy stood before the king, only looking at the ground between them, never for a moment letting go of Thunders' hand.

The king knelt down to be at the boys' level. "Can you tell me what happened here?" He asked softly. The boy only shook his head. "Didn't you see someone suspicious? Or did you see the bandits, who attacked this village?" The boy only shook his head again.

"What's your name boy?"

"I… I don't know…" He said quietly as his drip tightened around Thunders' hand.

"You don't know?" The king asked.

"I… I don't… I don't remember…"

The king thought for a second. The child wasn't lying, that he was certain of. He spend most of his time dealing with politics, he could tell if someone was lying to him. He remembered seeing the wound on the childes' forehead, as the guards tended to him. It was possible something fell on his head in the house and made him loose his memories. But if that was the case, the boy would be of no help, finding the bandits. It was even possible the child was one of the bandits. With so little clothes he had, it was impossible to tell, if he was one of the attackers, or the villagers. Either way it didn't matter. Whiteout his memories the child was only an orphan in need of his help. The look he gave to Captain Fang and the look she gave the child also didn't went by unnoticed.

"Captain Fang!" The king begun.

"Sir!" Thunder replied.

"I understand you can't have a child of your own. Is that correct?" He asked.

The color drained from Thunders' face. This was… her greatest shame. The reason her husband left her. Because she was unable to get pregnant. The doctor said; she could never have a child of her own. And it was probably written in her files too. That's how the king knew about it…

"Y- Yes My King. It is true…" She managed to regain her voice.

"Then, I would like you to adopt this young boy." He said.

" _Did I heard him right? Did he just…_ " She couldn't say a word, only stare whit an open mouth.

"But only if it's no trouble-" The king tried to continue, but Thunder cut him off.

"NO! No trouble at all! Thank you, sir!" She shouted, surprising everyone around them and even herself.

The king gave a small chuckle and turned to the boy. "Is this agreement acceptable for you young wolf?"

The boy looked like someone had offered him an ice cream cone covered in sprinkles, rainbows and a whole lot of sugar. He wasted no time, and hugged Thunder again with all his might, tears of joy falling from both their eyes.

" _It would also make it easier to keep an eye on him, should any of his memories return._ " Thought the king. " _What a sight. This boy, who just lost everything, covered in bandages and a female who thought she could never have a child, smiling and laughing like there is nothing wrong in the world. I hope you can both stay this happy._ "

"All he needs now, is a name." Spoke up the king, looking at the pair.

Thunder thought for a moment. "Silver!" She finally said. "Silver Fang!" She said as she hugged her child.

Silver seemed to like his name too.

"Silver Fang it is!" Replied the king, whit a big smile on his face. "Welcome to Armello!"


End file.
